Revista mexicana de biodiversidad ISSN: 1870-3453 ISSN: 2007-8706 Instituto de Biología Hernández, Raquel; Álvarez, Fernando Molluscs from the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park, Quintana Roo, Mexico; new records for the Mexican Caribbean Revista mexicana de biodiversidad, vol. 90, 2019 Instituto de Biología DOI: 10.22201/ib.20078706e.2019.90.2712 Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=42562784052 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System Redalyc More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America and the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Project academic non-profit, developed under the open access initiative Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 90 (2019): e902712 Taxonomy and systematics Molluscs from the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park, Quintana Roo, Mexico; new records for the Mexican Caribbean Moluscos del Parque Nacional Arrecife de Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, México; nuevos registros para el Caribe mexicano Raquel Hernández, Fernando Álvarez * Colección Nacional de Crustáceos, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado postal 70-153, 04510 México City, Mexico *Corresponding author: [email protected] (F. Álvarez) Received: 24 May 2018; accepted: 22 March 2019 Abstract A study of the coral reef associated fauna was conducted in the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park (PNAPM) in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Coral rubble was sampled at 3 sites representing different conservation conditions. A total of 653 organisms representing 120 species of molluscs were collected, of which 14 (11%) are new records for the Mexican Caribbean. The new records presented herein correspond to: 11 gastropods belonging to 11 different families, 2 bivalves from 2 different orders, and 1 polyplacophoran. A rarefaction curve adjusted using Chao 1 estimator results in a theoretical maximum of 220 species. With further studieson the mollusc fauna of the Mexican Caribbean, the recorded species richness should increase considerably in the future. Keywords: Mesoamerican reef; Gastropoda; Bivalvia; Polyplacophora; Biodiversity Resumen Se realizó un estudio de la fauna asociada al arrecife de coral en el Parque Nacional Arrecife de Puerto Morelos (PNAPM) en Quintana Roo, México. Se muestreó la pedacería de coral muerto en 3 sitios que representaron diferentes niveles de conservación. Se recolectó un total de 653 organismos que corresponden a 120 especies de moluscos, de los cuales 14 (11%) son registros nuevos para el Caribe mexicano. Los registros nuevos que se presentan son: 11 gasterópodos de 11 familias, 2 bivalvos de 2 órdenes diferentes y 1 poliplacóforo. Se obtuvo una curva de rarefacción utilizando el estimador Chao 1 que resultó en un máximo teórico de 220 especies. Con nuevos estudios sobre la fauna de moluscos del Caribe mexicano, el número de especies registradas debe incrementarse considerablemente en el futuro. Palabras clave: Arrecife mesoamericano; Gastropoda; Bivalvia; Polyplacophora; Biodiversidad ISSN versión electrónica: 2007-8706; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biología. Open Access bajo la licencia CC BY-NC-ND (4.0) https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2019.90.2712 R. Hernández, F. Álvarez/ Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 90 (2019): e902712 2 https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2019.90.2712 Introduction Coral reefs are threatened ecosystems world-wide due to the increased urban development of coastal areas that promote sedimentation, overfishing, macroalgal growth, low water quality, diseases and direct physical damage (Alvarez-Filip et al., 2011; Monroy-Velázquez et al., 2017). Several approaches have been developed to estimate the health status of coral reefs; one non- destructive method is to survey theabundance and diversity of cryptic fauna from coral rubble and associate them to how conserved or deteriorated the reefis (Linton & Warner, 2003; Takada et al., 2007; Monroy-Velázquez et al., 2017). However, their inclusion in such analyses is dependent upon the availability and completeness of the corresponding inventories (Thomas, 1993).In this paper, we present a list of species of molluscs found in 3 sites within the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park, and 14 new distributional records for the Mexican Caribbean. Further analyses of these data,combined with those of other invertebrate groups recorded in the same samplings, is forthcoming. Molluscs are a dominant component of the coral reef fauna and their real diversity is still a matter of much controversy.Miloslavich et al. (2010) reported 3,032 species for the whole Caribbean Sea, based on records from major museums and the databases available at the Figure 1. Map of the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park, time. González-Vallejo (2011) reported 675 species for the Quintana Roo, Mexico, showing the collecting sites for this Mexican Caribbean, and 3 years laterCastillo-Rodríguez study: Bonanza, Puerto Morelos and Jardines. (2014) recorded 985 species for the same area. The large increase in number of species (310) shows that the potential for new distributional records in the area is still quite high. Morelos (20°52’50” N, 86°51’02” W), conserved, in the Further, these figures suggest that the Mexican Caribbean central portion of the marine park is in good condition could host close to one-third of the total diversity of although it is adjacent to the town of Puerto Morelos, and the region. Other studies that have contributed to the 3) Jardines (20°50’20” N, 86°52’41” W), degraded, lies to knowledge of the mollusc fauna in the Mexican Caribbean the south in front of large resorts and golf courses with a are those of Cruz-Abrego et al. (1995), González-Vallejo heavy sediment load (Monroy-Velázquez &Álvarez, 2016; (1998) and García-Cubas and Reguero (2004, 2007). In Monroy-Velázquez et al., 2017; Rodríguez-Martínez et al., this study, the Mexican Caribbean is considered to be the 2010; Fig. 1). Using SCUBA equipment, 3 kg of coral area between Cape Catoche in the northeastern tip of the rubble were sampled in each site. It is worth mentioning Yucatan Peninsula to Xcalak, Quintana Roo, in the border that although no sediment was taken with the coral rubble with Belize, a coastline of approximately 418 km. samples,some micromollusks associated to this substrate were collected. Samplings were conducted in March, May, Materials and methods August, and November 2013, and January 2014, under SAGARPA (Agriculture, Natural Resources and Fisheries The study was conducted in the Puerto Morelos Reef Secretariat) collecting permit DGOPA.00008.080113.0006 National Park (PNAPM), Quintana Roo, Mexico; which is granted to F. Álvarez. a section of the Mesoamerican Reef (Fig. 1). Three sites Samples were placed in plastic bags and transported were selected: 1) Bonanza (20°57’58” N, 86°48’27” W), to the lab for sorting. All organisms were extracted from in recovery, located in the northern section of the marine the dead coral matrix and preserved in 70% EtOH. The park, now closed to recreational activities after being identification guides used were Abbott (1974),Redfern heavily impacted by snorkeling and diving; 2) Puerto (2001), García-Ríos (2003), Mikkelsen and Bieler (2008) R. Hernández, F. Álvarez/ Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 90 (2019): e902712 3 https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2019.90.2712 and Tunnell et al. (2010). The synonymies were checked Results in Abbott and Dance (1982), Tunnell et al. (2010), Redfern (2001, 2013), Rosenberg et al.(2009) and Horton et al. A total of 653 organisms from 120 species were (2018); the last 2 references were used to verify current collected. Gastropoda was represented by 80 species in accepted names. The taxonomic list is presented following 60 genera and 38 families, Bivalvia by 26 species in 24 Horton et al. (2018) for gastropods; Bieler and Mikkelsen genera and 16 families, Polyplacophora by 12 species in 5 (2006) for bivalves, Kaas and Van Belle (1987) for genera and 3 families, and Scaphopoda and Cephalopoda polyplacophorans, Scarabino (2008) for scaphopods, and by 1 species each (Table 1). Young et al. (2018) for cephalopods. The values obtained for the model used to construct Specimens representing the new records of less than 2 the rarefaction curve (a = 0.397, b = 0.0018) result in a mm in total length were photographed in an Axio Zoom theoretical maximum number of species of a/b = 220.55 V16 Zeiss microscope, and larger specimens in a Z16 (Fig. 2; curve obtained with Chao 1 estimator), 100 more APO-A Leica microscope. No taxonomic comments than what was obtained (Fig. 2; curve constructed with the are included since all the species agree well with the observed values). This result suggests that the number of rare original descriptions. All specimens representing the new species, or species that occur with low numbers, can make distributional records are deposited in the “Colección up for more than half of the mollusc community in the area. Malacológica Dr. Antonio García-Cubas” (COMA) of the Three species in the family Phasianellidae were collected, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad of which Eulithidium bellum (M. Smith, 1937) was the Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM). All the most abundant gastropod with 122 (18%) individuals. remaining specimens are deposited in the “Colección The gastropods Columbella mercatoria (Linnaeus, 1758), Nacional de Moluscos” (CNMO) of the Institutode Cerithium litteratum (Born, 1778) and Eulithidium bellum